SEATTLE– Alaska Airlines (AS) is working to restore normal flight operations after an extensive IT outage disrupted hundreds of flights and stranded tens of thousands of passengers across the United States.
The outage led to a ground stop on Thursday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport (SEA), with passengers on board waiting for updates amid widespread delays and cancellations. According to Alaska Airlines, over 400 flights are operated by the carrier.
Alaska Airlines Cancels 400 Flights
As reported in The Independent, more than 49,000 passengers have faced travel disruptions since the incident began. Many travelers reported long waits at gates and check-in counters, while others were stuck on aircraft as the carrier worked to manually process flight data.
Alaska Airlines said it is operating with a focus on safety and efficiency, emphasizing that teams are “working around the clock to normalize operations safely and as quickly as possible.”
To support stranded passengers, the airline increased airport staffing and implemented a flexible travel policy allowing customers to modify bookings through its website and mobile app.
Technical Investigation Underway
In a statement released Friday, Alaska Airlines confirmed that:
“It is bringing in outside technical experts to diagnose our entire IT infrastructure to ensure we are as resilient as we need to be.”
The company acknowledged that this is the second major outage it has experienced this year.
In July, Alaska Airlines grounded flights for nearly three hours due to another system malfunction. Following that incident, the airline said it had “taken action to harden our systems,” but the latest disruption has highlighted continued vulnerabilities.
The carrier admitted the recent event “underscores the work that remains to be done to ensure system stability.”
Passenger Response and Recovery Efforts
As flight cancellations mounted, the airline faced increasing frustration from travelers affected by missed connections and rebookings. Alaska Airlines apologized to passengers, stating:
We are deeply sorry for the disruptions this event has caused for so many of our valued guests.
The airline also took full responsibility for the outage and its operational impact, reiterating that this level of performance “is not acceptable.”
Alaska Airlines advised customers to check flight status before traveling to the airport, noting that rebooking flexibility would remain available until operations are fully restored.
Bottom Line
Alaska Airlines is moving swiftly to stabilize its systems and bring operations back to normal after the large-scale IT outage that grounded flights and disrupted tens of thousands of passengers.
By engaging outside experts, the airline aims to strengthen its IT infrastructure and avoid similar disruptions in the future.
While flight cancellations continue to affect schedules, the carrier has pledged to maintain transparency and provide flexible options to affected passengers until operations are fully restored.
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